If a candidate first-AI-agent use case at an SMB cannot answer all four of (a) what does success look like in numbers, (b) who owns it on Monday, (c) what breaks if it fails silently, (d) what is the rollback — the use case is not ready to deploy, regardless of vendor demo quality or model capability.

Editorial framework piece. The four questions are derived from the most common failure modes observed across SMB-scale agent deployments through 2025-2026. Designed for a 30-minute meeting with three people; output is a one-page record. Not a substitute for vendor due diligence, risk register, or AI policy.